Having completed watering at Sousoulito, we left San Francisco and
returned to Monterey. Even during the short period of our absence a
rapid improvement was visible. Many Mormons had arrived, the streets
were cleansed, and vehicles of a civilized build were occasionally
beheld in the town. Some companies of the Volunteer Regiment were
encamped on the slopes of the hills, and the artillery were busily at
work throwing up fortifications on a pretty eminence, overlooking the
town and harbor. Grog shops were thriving apace--handsomely patronized
by Jack and the soldiers,--and monte banks and gaming were following _en
suite_. Stone buildings were under construction; and among others,
through the excellent management of the Alcalde, a large school-house
presented a bold front to the uneducated natives; thus we had the vices
and virtues hand in hand--no existing without them. There was also a
little newspaper published weekly; for, with the usual enterprise of our
countrymen, and their naturally saturnine dispositions, they had pounced
upon a fount of types, carefully secreted beneath the font of the
church, and instead of being applied to their original purpose of
disseminating the authority of Mexican rulers, they were made to preach
the true republican doctrine to all unbelievers among the astonished
Californians. The editor of this infantile journal was Dr. Semple, who
although supposed to have been connected with the famous Bear party,
wielded the editorial pen with the same facility as his rifle, and
merits all praise for having been the pioneer of civil and religious
liberty in the country. I only trust the Doctor may live to fill his
ample pockets with gold dust, even though they be lengthy as his legs or
editorials.
Remaining barely long enough to take in provisions, we left Monterey on
the 19th of April, and beating clear of Piney Point, with a spanking
breeze, turned our prow towards the Mexican coast. A few days
afterwards, during the night, we discovered the Island of Guadalupe,
laid down in the charts more than half a degree too far south,[1]
though, singularly enough, correct in longitude. Fortunately we had
changed the ship's course previously, for as the night was dark and
cloudy we stood a chance of making a nearer acquaintance than would have
been satisfactory to the noble frigate: in fact at all times we labored
under great disadvantages in being destitute of maps of sufficient
accuracy for the commonest purposes of navigation, and those at all
useful we were obliged to compile ourselves from the rough sketches and
experience of navigators frequenting the coast; still we made great
speed, and the flying fish flew from before us as we entered the tropic.
At midnight, on the 26th we doubled Cape San Lucas, the extreme southern
point of that long finger-like Peninsular of Lower California.
Lower California embraces an extent of territory seven hundred miles in
length, and varies in breadth from thirty to eighty miles; broken up
into barren mountains four or five thousand feet in height, verging
close upon the shores of sea and gulf. The country is very unproductive,
and only serves to subsist a small population of probably not over ten
thousand. There are a few narrow valleys, watered by the condensation of
clouds and mist in the dry season from the naked heights, which serves
for fertilizing strips of rich soil below, producing maize and fruits.
The Jesuits have, centuries ago, even in these sterile regions, planted
the banners of their faith, and the missions and villages that sprang up
around them still exist. The principal places are Todos Santos, on the
sea coast; San Antonio, in the interior; San Jose, La Paz, and Loretta,
the capital, lying on the shores of the inland gulf. There are two
excellent harbors--the Bay of La Paz, and another higher up called
Escondida; both places having deep anchorage, and fresh water, for the
largest vessels.
There is but little trade carried on with the Peninsula: a few small
craft exchange country-made cheese and soap for domestic goods in San
Blas and Mazatlan. Near Cape San Lucas had been found by the whalers a
resort for a new species of fish, producing an oil supposed to be
suitable for paints. One or two ships were filled, but we heard
subsequently the material did not answer the desired purpose. There is
the island of Carmen within the gulf, which contains vast lakes of salt,
as inexhaustible as the guano beds on the Peruvian coast. This salt is
of excellent quality; it is cut out in large blocks, stacked, and left
to be washed by the rains, when it becomes ready for shipping. These are
all the known inducements for trade, of the Peninsula and the Adriatic
of the Pacific. Guaymas, situated nearly at the head of the gulf, and
Mazatlan abreast the southern cape, though neither possess such safe
havens, with so good fresh water ports, still have positions more
adaptable for commerce on the main shores of Mexico.
At daylight we were boarded by one Ritchie, who played the _role_ of
marine postmaster for our squadron; and then steering for thirty miles
along the high, barren, sterile coast, we hove-to off the little bay of
San Jose; communicated with one of our ships-of-war; again filled away,
and lazily fanned across the Sea of Cortes to our destination. This
occupied, at a snail's pace, three long days, and the next morning we
awoke within the scorching lines of the tropics--one-half the horizon
bounded by a dull monotonous ripple of sea, and hazy sky, and the other
faced by the high sierras framing the grand plateau of Mexico, and
nearer a line of hot rugged rocks, and islets, and white sandy beaches,
together with ranges of houses bordering upon the shores, and upon the
hills; which was the goodly town of Mazatlan. We anchored, as it were,
at sea, off the bluff promontory of Creston; an island itself, divided
by a narrow strait from the main, and resembling a sleeping lion, with
paws tossed before him. The British frigate Constance, a French
corvette, another of our own, with two merchant vessels, comprised the
entire nautical coterie. Our arrival caused some excitement in the town,
and we were in hopes the authorities would either strike for
independence, or declare themselves neutral, and thus open the port, as
at the time we had no serious intentions of molesting them; but we were
disappointed in our anticipations, and found there was naught to do save
maintaining a dull, idle, passive blockade for a long month to come.
The day after our arrival, two armed boats were sent to make a
reconnoissance of the old harbor, for the purpose of selecting a
suitable berth for the ships, in case an attack should be made. Not
perceiving any bustle or stir pervading the town, we pulled warily in,
until, on passing out from cover of the corvette's guns, we
unconsciously raised the most infernal din imaginable. Drums rattled
incessantly, dirty soldiers formed in companies; the Governor and suite
attended by a guard of cavalry galloped up and down the beach. Consuls
run up their national flags, women and children ran up the hills; all
evidently in great consternation at the anticipation of a hostile
invasion. On comprehending the true state of the case, we amused
ourselves out of musket shot, by making feints to land, and by this
method we kept three or four hundred filthy villains in a violent state
of fatigue and perspiration, running and scampering from point to point
to oppose us. No sooner did they get comfortably posted, and weapons in
readiness on the cliffs, than in we would dash for the beach. At last
the whole garrison turned out, and getting a field piece under way,
manned by three jackasses, rather than give them the laugh against us,
we thought advisable to edge out of range, and thus when they had
cleverly pulled the piece into a commanding position, they could only
greet us with a volley of execrations instead of grape shot. However, we
completed our work by taking the requisite bearings and planting a buoy,
which was cut adrift the same night for a large reward, and carried
about the town in great triumph and procession, and generally believed
to be a Yankee bomb. Indeed, these Mazatlanese were extremely wroth and
patriotic during the blockade, and it was only a week preceding our
advent, that they had illuminated the town in honor of Santa Anna's
victory at Buena Vista. The fact was, the Mexican general's dispatch was
not altogether so clear as the circumstances of the case demanded, and
it admitted of a variety of constructions.
Still, after escaping the bolts of Mars, we came near being sacrificed
to the cestus of Venus, for, on pulling towards a rocky ledge, we
discovered two sunny-faced maidens, one attired in a red camisetta, and
the other waiving a _manta_, in a most enticing and beguiling manner.
Intercourse with fashionable society impelled me, from politeness, to
regard them through a glass, and a capital spy-glass it proved to be,
for I was able to discern thirty or forty of their admirers temporarily
ensconced behind the rocks, and each, too, adorned with a musket. We
halted, made a low obeisance, and retreated rapidly on board, leaving
them the opportunity of forwarding a despatch by express, to
head-quarters, narrating how _los Yankis eran repulsados en varios
puntos_--how the Yankees were put to flight.
On the following morning was captured the first prize--a miserable
little schooner from San Blas, laden with plank and plaintains,
rejoicing in the classic appellation of Diana, and having given the
boats a smart pull, she was christened the chased Diana. The Patron was
Italian, who wept like a pump--talked of his utter ruin, and starving
_bambinos_ to such an extent, that after taking and paying liberally for
his fruit and lumber, he was permitted to depart; he afterwards proved
to be an arrant rogue, and turned an honest penny while the war lasted,
by smuggling powder to the Mexicans. He was too wily to be caught the
second time.
At night there were always signal fires burning on the hill tops around
the town, as a warning to vessels approaching the coast; but with all
their vigilance and caution, our boats after being out all night,
generally returned with some indifferent prizes--at best it was but
pin-hook business, for we cared not to make war upon the poor, causing
us constant annoyance, and after all the trouble the little prizes were
released with lightened cargoes, and heavier pockets of the owners, for
which no doubt, the scamps would have been pleased to be captured daily.
In a few days our consort received orders to blockade Guaymas, a port of
some commercial importance, nearly at the head of the gulf of
California, and she accordingly sailed, leaving a small prize tender, a
schooner of about forty tons, to be "turned over," in a professional
sense, to the flag-ship--there being no more enterprising person than
myself who cared to assume so imposing a command, I was at once
installed in the skipper ship and was immediately paddled on board.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] The correct latitude is 29 deg. 14'.